Oprah Winfrey’s recent Weight Watchers^® commercial and Tweet declaring her love of bread created quite a buzz. And here’s the good news, her ability to lose weight while enjoying her daily bread is backed up by science!

In a recent article appearing in Milling and Baking News, Julie Miller Jones, professor emeritus of nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN, shared that while some of the general public may have been surprised, Oprah’s statement was consistent with what nutritional scientists have been saying for years.

Dr. Jones cited one study where over 100 middle-aged women were divided into two groups and placed on a low-calorie diet. One group was allowed bread while the other group wasn’t. The bread eaters consumed more carbohydrates but ate fewer calories, which is essential to weight loss. The bread group had many reporting that they felt more full than their non-bread counterparts, with only 6% dropping out compare to over 20% giving up in the non-bread group. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the key to success is the ability to stick to a healthy diet plan that balances caloric intake with physical output. Research found that while only about half of those following a low carb diet, such as Atkins, were able to complete the year-long program, while over 65% of those following a program that allows bread products, such as Weight Watchers, stayed the course. Not completely eliminating a food, like bread, also makes it easier to transition into a healthful eating pattern after the diet is over.

So in conclusion, as with all foods, enjoy bread in moderation as part of a healthy diet and do some physical activity every day.